Matt Lelliott is a card shark ― he’d admit it himself.
But we’re not talking about poker or go fish, for the charismatic Goulburn Valley Suns midfielder is an absolute weapon when it comes to going into the referee’s book thanks to his take-no-prisoners approach on the football pitch.
He is renowned for his affinity for picking up yellow cards, 60 across eight league seasons for those counting, but this weekend he’ll be acknowledged for so much more.
Lelliott, 29, becomes just the second player to hit 150 games for the Suns after Greg Nash reached the milestone last month and it all started with a phone call.
“My two brothers and my dad moved here because he had a business opportunity,” he said.
“Six months down the track he said Suns are starting up, come here and try out.
“I’d just been living in Alice (Springs) for six months and had pretty much given up playing soccer at a high level.
“The call from Dad, that could’ve gone either way ― I could’ve just stayed up there and it would’ve been a completely different life, but I’m married now and haven’t looked back.”
Lelliott, a South Australia native, had stints in Adelaide United’s youth team and Campbelltown City before moving to Shepparton via Alice Springs.
It was here where he cultivated his ‘’axeman’’ image.
Or perhaps ‘‘chainsaw’’ is the proper term, considering how efficiently Lelliott lops down opponents.
Since joining the Orangemen nearly a decade ago, Lelliott has accrued five red cards to go along with 60 ‘‘slices of cheese’’ in league duties, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“My mum likes to say I’ve got white line fever, she reckons I’m a different person when I’m on the pitch,” he said.
“Off the pitch I like to keep to myself, introverted, and then on the pitch I’m a bit extroverted, so it’s like two different people.
“I love a tackle, I love to talk back and wind up opponents.
“I remember coming through when I was 13 and getting kicked by 35-year-olds and they’re saying ‘you’re bloody sh*t, you’ll never amount to anything’. That’s how I got brought up, it was good.”
And, while Lelliott is more of a traditional box-to-box midfielder, when he strikes a ball, he makes sure it stays hit.
The Suns enforcer smiled when recalling a half-volleyed rocket against Eastern Lions in 2018, which was shortly followed by a windmill celebration for the ages.
“That was probably the best ball I ever hit,” he said.
“Funny story, ‘Ads’ (Adam Gatcum) was screaming out for me to leave that for him, but I reckon if he had a crack he would’ve put it onto the next highway.”
There’s no shortage of jokes when Lelliott’s around.
He let on to teammate Jamie England of West Coast footballer Mitch McGovern’s moniker as ‘‘Mudguts’’ which was transferred onto Lelliott for a while.
Fiercely funny and famously hot-headed, it’s clear to see why he has become a club favourite, even turning down offers when Melbourne came knocking in his early years at the Suns.
Lelliott did say he ‘’should’ve had 150 two years ago if I didn’t get injured or suspended’’, but is hoping to squeeze a bit more out of his time at McEwen Reserve as he finds himself playing in the most enjoyable season of his career to date.
“I’d like to hope I’ve got a few years left playing at the Suns, but then after that, even locally help out with the juniors and coaching in the future,” he said.
“I’ve got my badges, so I’d love to get into coaching. But obviously I’m married up now, I’m kind of stuck here now aren’t I?”
The Suns take on North Sunshine Eagles at home in a portentous clash this Saturday, with nothing but a win required to keep the side’s promotion sniff going.